Improvement in corn-planters



D. R. ALBEN.

Seed-Planter. No. 18,127. Patented Sept. 8, 1857 N. PETiRs.PHTuTHOGRAPHER. wASHlNGTU. D C4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

QD. R. ALBEN, or UNIONVILLE, oHIo.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 18,127, dated September8, 1857.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, D. It. ALDEN, ofUnionville, in the county ot' Lake and State of Ohio, have invented anew and Improved Machine for Planting Corn and other Seed; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making a part of thisspecitication, in which- Figure l is a longitudinalvertical section ot' my improvement, zr, Fig. 2, showing the plane ofsection. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same. Y

Similar' letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twofigures.

My invention consists in the peculiar means employed for operating thedistributing-wheel, whereby the seed may be planted at varying distancesapart, as desired.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully nnderstand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to described it.

A represents the frame of the implement, which is supported by a wheel,B, the frame having handles C U attached to it in the usual manner.

D represents a conveying-spout, which is attached to the under side ofthe frame A, directly in front ot' the wheel B. This spout is somewhatinclined, its lower end being nearer the wheel B than its upper end.

On the frame A, directly over the spout D, a block, a, is secured, andon this block a hopper, E, is placed.

. block a and frame A, the openingsff being in line and communicatingwith the spout D. (See Fig. 1.)

Within a recessie the block a a wiper-wheel, g, is tted. Thiswiper-wheel g is secured on tbeshaft b, and the ends of its arms projecta short distance beyond one side of the block a. Within the hopper E abrush, G, is secured.

This brush serves as a cut-oft', and is of course placed in line with orover the opening or hole c in the bottom d of the hopper.

To one side ot the wheel B', and concentric with it, a pulley, H, issecured, and to one side of the frame A a curved bar, I, is attached,said bar I having a pulley, J, fitted within it. The bar I is attachedto the frame A by setscrews h.

Around the two pulleys H J a belt, K, is placed, and on this beltprojecting knobs t' are secured in any proper manner, the knobs beingsecured to the belt at equal distances apart.

L represents a plunger, which is iitted in a share, M, formed at thelower part ot' the conveying-spout D, said plunger working in anopening, j, which intersects the lower end of the borelc of the spout D,as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The stem l of the plunger L is connected toone end of a bent lever, m, which is attached to the under side ot' theframe A. One end of this lever'm extends upward by the side of the blocka opposite to the side where the belt K works. A spring,'fn, bearsagainst the lever m.

The operation is as follows: As the machine is drawn along the belt K ismoved in the direction indicated by the arrow, (see Fig..2,) and theknobs t' on the belt catch against the ends of the arms of thewiper-wheel g and rotate the wheel F intermittently, the seed in theholes c, as said holes pass underneath the brush or cut-oftl G and comein line with the holes eff', dropping into the spout D, and by itconveyed iuto the furrow. The wheel F may be rotated at greater or lessintervals by placing the knobs t' on the belt K at a greater or lessdistance apart, and consequently the seed may be dropped at any requireddistance. As the wiper-wheel g rotates its arms at the side of the blocka opposite to Where the belt K is placed strike against the bent leverm, and the plunger L is forced downward in the aperture or opening j inthe share, said plunger being elevated asthe arms pass the end of thelever m bythe spring n. The plunger L by its operation ett'ectuallyprevents the choking ot' the spout by the seed, and also keeps the lowerend free from dirt, which might casually be forced into it. Seed, if alittle damp, is quite liable to choke or clog in the spout, and the soilalso, it' moist, is quite liable to become packed in the lower end ofthe spout. The plunger obvizttes these difficulties.

I do not claim the wheel F for distributing the seed or conveying itfrom the hopper into the spout, for they are Well known and in quitecommon use; but, i

^ Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

Operating or rotating the wheel F by means ot' the belt K, having knobsiattaohed, and the Wiper-Wheel g, attached t0 the shaft b ofthe wheel F,the above parts being arranged substantially as shown and described.

D. R. ALDEN.

Witnesses:

GEO. D. LEE, B. W. STONE.

